


To hold hands is to...

by thelala123



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Will add relationship tags as they come along, irregular updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25689796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelala123/pseuds/thelala123
Summary: The Noise had been a threat to all of humanity. With no conscience, they were an alien race that mercilessly attacked human beings turning them into a pile of dust. However there was something that could save the world with a single punch and an extended hand that not many knew.Only time would reveal things: both the bad and good.And Kousaka Honoka would be there.
Kudos: 12





	To hold hands is to...

**Author's Note:**

> Umm its been a while since I've written a LL fic so forgive me if its OOC. Actually I had just completed this not too long ago and since it was Honoka's bday what better time than now to post this ;3
> 
> Hope you guys like it :)

A handbag fell to the ground with a thump. Fear had found her. It had finally shown its ugly face grinning at her wickedly, however little did she expect it to be this bad. It cackled at her, mocking her pathetic state. If Fear had set a trap for her, she walked right into it like a tiger and a huntsman.

And she was about to die. 

Her heart threatened to break through her chest as adrenaline pumped through her body. Her fight and flight instinct kicked in however her feet stayed glued to the ground. Her eyes were wide, staring at the glowing yet lifeless orange figures with claws that resembled those of lobsters that seemed to approach her. A blood curdling scream ripped through her body, her muscles rigid before they began to move on their accord, her feet slamming onto the concrete beneath her.

She felt disconnected with her body. Her legs moved on their own as they guided her to the nearest gully; her heart pumping so much blood to her head it made her almost dizzy. Her body was burning as if her blood was on fire. The only thing that kept her in the present was the drumming of her heart in her ears and the omnipresent fear that chased her.

With every step she could feel herself run towards the doors of death as she could hear the sounds of zooming behind her. Her legs felt like jelly at the thought and just like that she fell onto the floor, tripping on nothing.

And there it was, the monster that seemed to be death's own little pet loomed over her. Brainless, ruthless and quick. The Noise. It had enveloped her in a sort of hug. Instead this was cold. Dead.

Just like she was.

" _Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron._ " 

If that was what hope sounded like, it was too late.

For now she was reduced to a pile of dust to be swept away in the wind.

  
  


* * *

The room was silent, save for the sounds of breathing. Stillness prevailed, the source of life still in the land of dreams and joy as she whispered to herself in her sleep asking her sister for food. Her blanket was strewn across the floor from the tossing and turning. The sun entered her room through the window whose curtains were drawn, the rays hitting the girl with full force. Still, her sleep was unperturbed. 

The door slammed open, revealing a young girl, a bit younger than the one on the bed. Rolling her eyes, she approached the older girl, shaking her in an attempt to wake her up. The ginger haired girl in bed simply rolled over to her side asking for some tea in her sleep.

It was time for the second half of the waking up ritual.

"Ow, Yukiho!" the sleepy girl sat up, clutching her forehead in pain. "Onee chan, your friends are downstairs waiting for you." the younger girl, Yukiho deadpanned. If her sleep didn’t vanish before, it did once Yukiho had uttered those words. 

Rushing out of bed, she did her morning rituals as fast as possible. Thoughts of her friend, Umi, scolding her thoroughly for sleeping in tortured her as she quickly donned her school uniform.

She grabbed her bag and ran downstairs where her mother was tending to early morning customers past which were two familiar figures. The blue haired girl, Umi, looked furious while the ashen haired, Kotori, was trying to pacify Umi.

If she knew one thing, once she stepped outside she was going to listen to an earful. Hopefully they'd reach school on time else it would turn into something more than just a simple reprimand. 

Umi seemed to go off on a tangent about responsibility and duty whenever she asked for forgiveness. Thankfully Kotori saved her, if not much then just enough to make Umi scold her for babying her too much.

Umi's lecture finally ended when they reached a familiar yet unfamiliar place. Normally it would be filled with students and older fans alike as they enjoyed early morning performances by the nationwide famous idol group, A-RISE. However due to a few unknown and unexplained circumstances A-RISE disbanded. 

It was UTX High School. A new and upcoming school, located in Akihabara, whose reputation for being a classy and up-to-date school spread like wildfire. The idol group, A-RISE whose members studied there also added on to the school’s prestige making the school more attractive to outsiders. Or at least they did before they disappeared from the view of the media.

"Mama said we should be careful when we travel to school." Kotori stated. "Ehh, why?" Umi sighed at Honoka's response, "Honoka, did you hear about last night's Noise attack?" Honoka shook her head, affirmingly. "It was near school, no?" 

"Which exactly why we should be careful." 

"That does make sense." Honoka nodded.

The Noise had been a threat to all of humanity. With no conscience, they were an alien race that mercilessly attacked human beings turning them into a pile of dust. There was no way to save oneself from the noise. If you do encounter one you might as well consider yourself dead for there was a slim chance of escaping.

Soon they had reached the gates of their school. Old, full of history, loads of trees and had a pair of alpacas was their school, Otonokizaka.

Otonokizaka High School. A prestigious school, located where Akihabara, Kanda and Jinbouchou neighbourhoods met, was known to one and all in Tokyo. Dating back to at least 1896, the school has stood against all sorts of troubles in the past, that is until recently. With a technological boom, the school struggled to adapt its old ways with the new ones and with the decreasing population rate all over Japan the school seemed to be thrashed by the waves of fate. 

It was sad. She really did love the school a lot. Plus her mother and grandmother had studied in this very institute making it more precious to her. She did propose an idea to become school idols just like A-RISE to save the school, however it had backfired and now they were back to square one. Plus the frequent noise attacks in the area weren't helping the school's situation. 

Even with such differences, the two schools: UTX and Otonokizaka had something much more in common. Something that was hidden from the public eye. Something only a handful knew. Something that could save the world with a single punch and an extended hand.

Only time would reveal things. 

"See Umi chan we made it on time." Kotori said, smiling at the blue haired girl. "You may be right Kotori, but it does not mean Honoka should sleep in. " Umi gave Honoka a stern look. The ginger head clapped her hands together, "Mou, I told you I am sorry." 

"It's our second year in high school, it's about time you be a bit more responsible. "

"Alright." Honoka grumbled.

And so their day began, just as normal. Even if their fights were as petty as the one they had they loved each other dearly. If the one was in need the other two would rush to help.

They were best friends after all. Umi may scold her but she always looked out for her almost like a father. Kotori was kind, thoughtful and always guided her almost like a mother would do. She couldn't imagine what she would do without them.

They had made it into the classroom when the bell had rung. Honoka mentally let out a sigh of relief. All dangers had passed. 

Or so she thought. 

A threat loomed above her with the name of "classes". 

Classes were boring, or at least it was for Honoka. The teacher's monotonous lectures were like lullabies plus the subject they taught didn't really interest her. Combining that together was a spell of slumber, only for that spell to be broken when the teacher woke her up and gave her an earful.

Time ticked and Honoka couldn't wait for her favourite time of the day. Lunch.

Not only did she get to eat one of her favorite food items but also it meant she and her friends could roam around freely in the school interacting with seniors and juniors and their classmates alike.

Usually, the three of them would depart together to their usual spot however today was a bit different. Umi and Kotori had been called to help the teacher carry the books to the staff room leaving Honoka behind. When such a circumstance occurred they all met underneath the tree, the place where they always ate their lunch.

And so, Honoka picked up her lunch, a packet of delicious sandwich with strawberry jam inside and skipped her way down the hallways that were almost empty. She waved at those who were there though, beaming at them. They returned the gesture although not too enthusiastically as she was.

As usual the spot was relatively empty, the area only filled by students passing by to other areas. The large sakura tree that was at the center of the school overlooking the activities of students ever since the school had been established. It was at the end of its life, rumoured that it may die once the school shuts down yet it was filled with life by the green leaves and the small birds who lived there during the summer before they migrated to warmer places in the winter. The ginger head, happily plopped down on the concrete that surrounded the premise of the colossal tree.

She happily hummed a tune, swinging her legs in beat, shaking her head from side to side to rhythm. The breeze was beginning to pick up, providing a bit of cooling on a hot day. She let out a sigh of relief, stretching. The breeze was such a lifesaver!

As more time passed by, Honoka’s patience began to wear off and more so once the breeze had vanished. She really wanted to eat together with her friends but her stomach was saying a different story. 

‘ _Food_ .’ her stomach demanded. ‘ _Wait for Umi chan and Kotori chan._ ’ she told the organ. ‘ _Bread._ ’ her stomach growled. ‘It's right there in your hand.’

‘ _No-_ ’

‘ _It has strawberries in it._ ’

After that there was no way Honoka could resist her stomach.

She hastily moved her hands, attempting to rip the measly plastic. Sadly, it just wouldn't rip. She pulled at the wrapper once again but to no avail. It really was annoying when this would happen. Displeased, she used all her strength to rip it. She was successful in her endeavours but…

  
  
  


Her sandwich had decided to belly flop onto the dirt, by the protruding roots of the tree.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” she let out a yell, rushing to the poor soul. She didn't care if she brought the attention of most students around her. She examined the meal. Its white fluffy exterior was now tainted by the darkness of dirt. She was too late. The five second rule could not be applied.

She had lost her lunch.

Grief stricken, she mourned. What was she going to fill her stomach with? She could ask Umi and Kotori to share a bit of their lunch. When would be the next time she'd see a loaf of bread? Probably tomorrow. That was far too long of a wait. 

But the future didn't mean that it could fix the present. Thinking about the past cannot help the present. None of it would not fix her stomach that growled sadly at the sight.

She fell to her knees, her arms hung limply to her sides. She simply stared at the loafs, hoping that somehow it would become edible again. 

However her knees couldn't bear her weight for long. Holding the protruding root of the tree for support, shifting into seiza. 

There was something off. The root seemed to move downward till she heard a tiny click. 

A moment of silence passed before the floor beneath her gave way. 

She shrieked, as her body suddenly felt weightless. Brightness of the outside blurred into darkness. Her stomach lurched as she sped faster downward, terror seizing her till she hit the hard ground.

She landed on her stomach, the shock of pain seizing her body, leaving her paralysed in shock for a few short moments. Her chest heaved however she could not inhale air. She let out a cry of pain, clutching her body. Her head suffered from the impact too, throbbing violently. Her eyes brimmed with tears, choked sobs leaving her body as she turned to look above her. Even with her tear filled eyes there was one thing she could see. 

Darkness. 

Her path had been sealed off. She was stuck in a pit of darkness underneath her beloved school. 

Taking in a shuddering breath, she stood on her two feet once the pain had subsided slightly. “Hello?” she called out in the darkness but all she received was a disembodied echo. She stumbled forward albeit hesitantly but paused as a groan escaped her lips as her head spun. She stumbled sideways(or so she assumed) clutching her head.

She came in contact with something rigid; she assumed it to be a wall. The realization made her feel a bit relieved. She moved on forward, her hands gliding across the wall, her only guide in the pitch black darkness.

The wall felt like paper. She could feel pieces of the wall break upon contact. Her hands slithered across the wall till she felt a rigid structure protrude out from the wall. It was cold and metallic. She may have underestimated the size of the structure for she took one more step forward and bumped her wounded head on it. 

"Oww." she grimaced stepping back. 

She ran her hands across its length, examining it. It was definitely a rod of some sort. At what she assumed to be the base was a hinge. Her curiosity peaked. Maybe she could open a trap door with it! She may be able to escape!

Her thoughts wandered to how worried her friends would be. It troubled her greatly. The quicker she’d get out of here the better. Plus, her stomach twisted in pain as it yearned for food. 

With one swift move she pulled the rod down.

The sounds of machinery groaning to life reverberated down the tunnel. The ground began to shake. Honoka’s grip on the rod tightened as she hung to the wall, terrified. What had she awakened!?

The loud noises dissipated to a soft murmur and the ground stopped moving. From behind her she could hear buzzing noises and soon her vision was filled with light. Instinctively, she covered her eyes. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as she adjusted to the brightness. 

She was not stuck in a tunnel; it was a corridor. A very colorful one. Despite it being colorful, the walls had dulled. The paint on the walls had worn off and what had been there seemed to flake out. Weird drawings donned the wall, representing some sort of script. 

She looked behind her, looking back at the place she had come from. There was evidence of a trap door however there was no ladder to get up. 

She faced forward once again, her attention now focused on the weird script on the walls. 

Honoka moved away from the wall intrigued, placing a hand on her chin. She moved forward, examining the swirls.

Maybe they could lead to an exit? Or at the very least some food.

The corridor split into many pathways, each leading to abandoned office rooms cleared of everything but dust. She continued to follow the unknown script. 

Something red glinted from the corner of her eyes. It was on the other side of the corridor. She approached, obviously. It was a stone, embedded in the wall. Intrigued, she touched it. 

Little did she expect it to fall from its place into her hands. She freaked out, frantically trying to place the rock back in its place but it wouldn't. 

She shoved it into the pocket of her blazer. No one would notice, right? She moved forward whistling, hands in her pockets, looking around her pretending to be absolutely innocent. 

She peeked into her pocket, examining the stone. It definitely looked like something you'd see on some accessories. Maybe she could give it to Kotori, who loved to design and make clothes and accessories herself. Honoka knew for sure the Kotori would love her gift. 

The corridor widened, opening to a room with a podium protruding, both sides of it were stairs leading to a hall full of computers and empty chairs that were smashed and overturned, tables that had been shredded, overlooking another room that was at a lower elevation that seemed to be in shambles as well. She could guess that this place was very old for this type of computers were not seen nowadays. Some seemed to be attached to a broadcasting system, similar to the one at school. In one corner was a grate door leading to a chamber, the kind she had seen in old movies. And in the other corner…

A refrigerator!

Her stomach growled in joy as she rushed to the target, opening the old door of the fridge. 

However she was in for a surprise.

She stumbled back, slamming the door shut covering her nose, gagging. "STINKY!" she fell back onto her bottom. The previous occupants of the place may have cleaned everything but the fridge. She didn't even want to know how old the food was. She could confidently say that was the worst smell she had ever smelt in her life. She made a mental note to never do that again.

It took her awhile to recover from that. When she managed to stand up on her feet, the stench had stopped overpowering her senses. She shook her head, snapping her out of her daze. She needed to find an exit. 

Now that the refrigerator idea was a bust it was time to test the chamber. 

The grate door was a bit tricky. Rust had taken its toll. It may have enhanced the aesthetic of the chamber but it didn't make opening the door easy. Pulling with all her strength she managed to open it.

The vintage look of the chamber stunned the ginger head. She hadn't seen anything like it before except in movies. There seemed to be some sort of pulley mechanism inside.

She seriously hoped at least this time it would lead her to some sort of exit. 

She pushed at it lightly, the sounds of metal screeching reverberated in the air, however the handle had barely moved. She applied more force, till her arms hurt more than they already did, sadly to no luck. She tried and tried and tried. 

And tried. 

And tried. 

  
  


She sat down heaving, removing her blazer. Her uniform was dripping with sweat almost as if someone had dropped a bucket of water on her. The throbbing of her head seemed to have worsened making her feel nauseous. Her face was on fire and she desperately needed something to cool it down and the lack of ventilation was worsening it. She took the arm of her blazer and swung it, using it as a make-shift fan as she enjoyed the little breeze it offered. 

She was tired, hungry and thirsty. Her stomach curled and ached in ways she had never known. She wanted to go back to the surface and see her friends and family. The thought of how worried sick they may be made her uneasy. 

But she could not move the wheel. Her only hope. 

Everything was doomed. She was stuck here. 

She was going to die here wasn't she? In a trashed place, with rotten food and weird writings. She never would have thought it would end like this. She always thought she would grow old along with Kotori and Umi enjoying the last days of her life till she took her last breath.

She dropped her blazer to pull her knees in, hugging them as she let out a quiet sob. 

She was doomed. 

Doomed. 

Doomed. 

  
  
  
  
  


No. 

No. 

No she wasn't. 

She wasn't a quitter. When challenges faced her she made sure she overcame them, laughing at them later. Her parents may have raised her daughter an idiot(on accident). But they didn't raise her to be a quitter. She will fight even if it took her last breath. Even if she must break her arm trying to move that wheel to use the pulley.

She will fight on!

She took a fortifying breath, she wiped the tears from her face, determination surging through her veins. Her head still spun, her stomach groaned, her body ached but it didn't matter. She was going to get out of here. “Faito dayo.” she whispered to herself, bringing her arms up in a defensive position in front of her chest. She nodded to herself affirmingly before executing what her gut told her to do.

She positioned herself placing a foot on the handle, resting her back on the wall before placing her other foot on the handle as well, pushing with all her might. 

With a loud creak, the wheel moved, the room moving upward just a bit. Unlike the room, Honoka fell to the floor as she lost her balance when the handle moved forward. She immediately stood on her feet, ignoring the pain on her butt, her hands gripping the handle, moving the wheel. 

It definitely was an elevator. It inched upward with every rotation of the wheel. The metal creaked and stuttered with every movement, echoing throughout the shaft. 

Boy, was she exhausted when she finally reached the top. Her feet felt like jelly and she could barely feel her arms but she ran outside the ruined, abandoned building as fast as she could not before picking up her blazer, checking whether the stone was in the pocket. 

When she managed to exit the labyrinth of a building, the sun had set. The moon was climbing its way in the sky and a few stars showed its face. 

She could feel her stomach drop. How long had she been there? How long were her friends searching for her? How worried were her parents, her family? 

She needed to get home quick. 

And she had no clue where she was. 

She had no money on her. 

  
  


She huffed. She'll make it . She made it this far. She grinned, nodding to herself telling herself that everything would be alright. 

She made her way through the empty streets of the unknown location singing a song to herself. She could feel the stone in her pocket grow warmer and heavier. With every note Honoka sang, the more she became aware of the stone. 

She was met with a crossroad. She simply shrugged, Turning left, she hoped she was going in the right direction. 

Or that was till she saw something she wished she never encountered before. She had only heard of descriptions given by traumatised survivors on the news but seeing the real thing made her heart stop. 

She wasn't going to get home alive, wasn't she? For what she saw was… 

Was the Noise. 

They weren't facing her though. It seemed to be preoccupied with a woman who let out a wail as she attempted to take off from the place. 

She was terrified. She could feel her heart pick up the pace. Her hands shook in terror. She took an audible gulp, stepping back. But she had to help the poor woman out. 

But how? 

Instead of telling her body to run away her mind seemed to be preoccupied with else. She became more aware of the gem as she saw the events before her unveiling. Her mind seemed to be filled with a tune. A tune that seemed to hijack her mind. She could feel a song resonate through her body. Through what little functioning it did, her mind told her to take the stone and sing. 

But what good would happen if she did that?

She watched the noise zoom towards the running woman. She clenched her teeth, her mind now hell bent on saving the woman in distress. She couldn't just stand there and watch. Her previous hesitation had vanished and she did what her gut instructed her. She opened her mouth, the words flowing out of her mouth, 

" _Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron._ " 

  
  


And Kousaka Honoka happened to stumble upon that power that day. The power to change the world with a single punch. 

With great power comes great responsibility. With more responsibilities comes the choice of duty and right, a choice that could forever change the course of life.


End file.
